No 5 Mk I .303 inch rifle, 1945

During operations in the Far East the British Army was convinced it needed a lighter, handier rifle for use in the jungle. Developed from 1944 onwards, the No 5 was basically a lightweight and shortened version of the No 4 Rifle, with a large flash eliminator on the muzzle. It continued in use after World War Two (1939-1945) but problems with the fearsome recoil and the zeroing of the sights meant it was not a popular weapon. Although declared an obsolete in July 1947 it continued to be used in Malaya in the 1950s, where the American M2 carbine supplemented it.